Private consumption community (ZEV/vZEV) for solar energy

Livit usually informs tenants about the inclusion of the ZEV regulation in the rental agreement before the PV system is built. This is usually done as a unilateral change to the agreement, so you do not need to take any further action. In new buildings, the ZEV regulation is already included in the initial rental agreements.

Specialised contractors install the PV system on the roof of the building. The costs of the construction are borne by the landlords. In normal buildings, the construction usually takes one month. After the work is completed, it will be a few more weeks before the system can be put into operation. If the power needs to be cut off briefly for the commissioning, you will be informed.

The landlords are responsible for the monitoring, maintenance and servicing of the photovoltaic system. They and/or the ZEV service provider they have appointed are responsible for the electricity supply to all participating tenants. They are also responsible for purchasing the additional electricity that is needed, for example, at night.

With a ZEV, tenants receive their electricity bills from a ZEV billing service provider. This can be the local electricity company, but often a specialised ZEV service provider handles the billing. The ZEV service provider is your direct contact for all questions about electricity.

For all tenants, the amount of solar electricity used is calculated individually. This means that you can increase your share of solar electricity if you mainly use electricity-consuming appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines during the summer when the sun is shining and at midday.
 

Invoicing for electricity consumption normally occurs on a quarterly basis. Please contact your ZEV service provider for information on the precise invoicing dates.

With the introduction of the ZEV, a billing service provider specialising in ZEVs will take over the billing of your electricity costs, as this is more complex than a normal electricity bill. The ZEV service provider ensures that your electricity costs are billed correctly, regularly and in a comprehensible manner. Typical ZEV service providers include Neovac, Energiepool, CKW or Egon. The local electricity company will no longer send you electricity bills. Only in rare cases – when the electricity company takes over the role of the ZEV service provider – will you continue to receive electricity bills from the local electricity company. After the ZEV has been introduced or with the first electricity bill from the ZEV service provider, you will usually receive an information letter with all the important information on billing. The ZEV service provider responsible for your property is listed in the information letter and on each electricity bill. You will also find the telephone number and e-mail address of the service provider there if you have any questions about the ZEV or the electricity billing.

As a rule, you will be sent the summary of your actual consumption when you are sent your bill by the ZEV service provider. If that is not the case, please contact the company responsible for you directly. 

As soon as the photovoltaic system is no longer producing sufficient electricity, the residual electricity is purchased from the local power supplier or on the open electricity market, depending on the agreement at your particular property. 

The supplied electricity must not be more expensive, and the supplied quality cannot be worse, than the standard product from the local power supplier. 

A photovoltaic system does not produce any electricity at night, and only a small amount of electricity in the early morning and evening hours and if the weather is cloudy or rainy. For that reason, a photovoltaic system can normally only cover less than half of a property’s power consumption. The power required over and above that must be purchased.